About “Our Game”
“Our Game” is a 2016 collaboration between Cameroonian singer AWU Sing Song and vocalist Gaelle Achiri, created around the excitement of the 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) hosted in Cameroon.
The song celebrates African football, the achievements of women in sport and the pride of supporting Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses. Contemporary Cameroonian coverage praised the record for combining a distinctly African identity with a modern musical approach.
The Message Behind “Our Game”
The title “Our Game” reflects the song’s central idea: football belongs to the people, and the achievements of African women on the pitch are a source of collective pride.
AWU uses the song to celebrate female footballers as champions, warriors and representatives of Africa, while encouraging supporters to identify with the players and their journey.
The song’s message extends beyond football. It connects sporting achievement with African identity, unity, pride and cultural representation, making the record both a football song and a celebration of Cameroon and Africa.
AWU and Gaelle Achiri
The collaboration benefits from the contrast between AWU’s lead performance and Gaelle Achiri’s feminine vocal presence.
Gaelle contributes backing vocals and passages in both of Cameroon’s official languages, English and French, adding another dimension to the song’s inclusive character. The record also incorporates Pidgin English, giving it a broader connection to Cameroon’s multilingual musical culture.
The Sound and Cultural Identity
Musically, “Our Game” combines Afro-modern production with traditional African elements. Contemporary reviews highlighted the song’s orchestration, African rhythmic character and use of traditional instruments such as the tam-tam and balafon.
The arrangement creates a meeting point between contemporary African pop and traditional Cameroonian musical culture, while the multilingual vocals strengthen its national and Pan-African character.
The Official Music Video
The “Our Game” video was produced and directed by Adah Akenji and uses strong Cameroonian and African visual references.
The imagery focuses on football, supporters, celebration, national colours and cultural identity, complementing the song’s message of pride in the Indomitable Lionesses and African women in sport. Contemporary coverage described the video as particularly strong in its use of colour, cultural imagery and traditional elements.
“Our Game” and AWCON 2016
The song was released in the build-up to the 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Cameroon, and it quickly attracted attention from fans and media.
Several contemporary publications promoted “Our Game” as the song they believed should serve as the tournament’s anthem. However, the officially selected AWCON anthem was performed by Charlotte Dipanda and Richard Kings, making it more accurate to describe “Our Game” as an AWCON 2016 theme/support song rather than the official tournament anthem.
The strong public response nevertheless demonstrated how effectively AWU’s song connected with the football atmosphere surrounding the tournament.
Project Details
Title: Our Game
Artist: AWU featuring Gaelle Achiri
Year: 2016
Occasion: Africa Women’s Cup of Nations 2016
Theme: Women’s football, African identity, pride and unity
Languages: English, French and Cameroonian Pidgin
Production/Direction: Adah Akenji
Format: Single / Football Theme Song / Music Video
